5 Clever Ideas for Storing Your Sewing Supplies

When it comes to sewing, most of us like to have a sewing studio that’s organized in a such way that our supplies are easy to find. Not only does this make sewing more enjoyable, but it can make for more time sewing and less time spent looking for tools. That’s why we are always on the hunt for sewing storage ideas that make our lives easier.

Tips for organizing your sewing space

These five ideas will teach you how to organize your sewing supplies and store them more efficiently:

1. Picture-Perfect Thread Holder 2. Budget-Friendly Bobbin Holder 3. Keep Your Cutting Mats Out of the Way 4. Perfect Pegboard Display Wall 5. No Space for a Sewing Room? Make Some.

1. Picture-Perfect Thread Holder

If you’ve been sewing for a while, you’ve probably started a large collection of different colors and types of thread. Easily see what you have by storing them on rows of small shelves, like this thread holder from The Creative Homemaker. They’ve even added small nails under each color of thread to store a bobbin that is wound with the same color. Not only will this thread holder make finding your thread easier, but it can free up another shelf or storage box for something else. When hanging any kind of thread holder on the wall, consider where your windows are in your sewing room. Repeated and prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can fade and damage thread.

Make one yourself: Sewing {Thread} Holder thread-holder-new Related videos and articles: No More Tangled Thread, How to Prevent Sewing Thread Breakage, Different Types of Thread for Sewing, Prevent Thread Breaks and Tangles, Keep Your Thread Long and Strong

2. Budget-Friendly Bobbin Holder

bobbin holderIf your thread holder doesn’t have thick enough shelves to store bobbins under the thread, consider this fun idea from Sew Many Ways. Repurpose an ice cube tray that is meant to make long, skinny ice cubes for water bottles as an easy bobbin holder. Some of these trays can be made of silicone, so they are flexible enough to hold any bobbin, even if yours many be slightly smaller or larger depending on your machine brand. The silicone also helps to grip the bobbins so they stay in place.

Check out your nearest Bed Bath and Beyond or big box store to purchase a tray like this, or find them on Amazon here.

Related videos: What Size Bobbins Do I Need?, Bobbin Storage & Transfer, Understanding the Benefits of Bobbin Winders, Understanding Different Bobbin Sizes, How to Wind a Bobbin Correctly Every Time

How to Store Bobbins

3. Keep Your Cutting Mats Out of the Way

Once you have your many spools of thread and bobbins organized, it’s time to move on to rulers and cutting mats. Since they both come in a variety of sizes, some being rather large, it can be difficult to find a good place to store them. This is especially the case with cutting mats, since simply propping them up against a wall or another surface can cause a permanent bend in the mat over time. Double Nickle Quilts came up with this great idea to store both.

cutting mat holder

By hanging the cutting mats and rulers on the wall and behind the door, they are out of the way when you don’t need them and are easy to find when you do. It also helps prevent them from getting bent or broken.

Related blog: All About Cutting Mats

4. Perfect Pegboard Display Wall

When it comes to organizing a sewing room, many times the small miscellaneous items get overlooked and simply tossed in a drawer or storage container. While this might keep them out of the way and your sewing studio looking clean, it can make finding those items difficult when you need them. Fynes Designs came up with a fun peg board way to store everything from scissors and rotary cutters to needles and buttons. You can even store small pieces of fabric on your peg board as color inspiration for your next project. If you have lots of small items, consider making more than one peg board and grouping together similar items on each one.

Make one yourself: Craft Room Organizing Ideas peg board

5. No Space for a Sewing Room? Make Some.

If you are just learning how to sew, you should consider creating a designated sewing space! An unused closet can make a surprisingly cozy sewing room for those lacking in space. However, it is much harder to know how to organize your sewing supplies when you are working with cramped quarters. Gwenny Penny shows us that a closet-turned-sewing-nook can be just as organized as any other sewing room. Making the most of your space by placing storage boxes or shelves under tables and hanging items on the wall can make any space feel larger.

sewing closet More ideas here: My New Sewing Closet

With these great ideas and many more available, we hope you are inspired to spruce up your space with fun sewing storage ideas that enable you to spend more time sewing!

What are your best tips for learning how to organize your sewing supplies? Let us know in the comments.

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132 Responses to “5 Clever Ideas for Storing Your Sewing Supplies”

  1. Loes

    Great ideas

  2. Jennifer Nolen

    Enjoy all these tips thank you. What kind of hangers do you use to hang the mats?

  3. Vanessa Combs

    Great ideal,s useable and inexpensive enought for anyone to do

  4. Billie

    I am looking for a gathering hack that uses a cardboard edge and long straight pins.

  5. Kelly Scott

    My thread and bobbins are stored well. Even my patterns have a place,card drawers that fit if the pattern is laid sideways and the numbers are on the top side in numerical order of course so lucky to have found these being tossed out. I have about yen and they are full. My problem is material storage. Right now I have huge plastic tubs and material is stored according to type like polyester, knits, cotton, denim and corduroy, you get the idea. But that takes up so much room. I made a fabric box for my tools of a material that I only had about 1 yard. Not enough for anything else. My plastic tubs are starting to collapse, I need a good idea.

  6. Linda Evans

    Brilliant ideas

  7. Linda Davidson

    Great ideas !

  8. ALAMELU SAMPATH

    The storing ideas are excellent, am having an ice tray that can be put to use.

  9. Naheed

    Good idea u gave me thanks

  10. Mary

    Peg board with pegs for my thread. A piece Of peg board painted and pegs added to holes that hold thread and bobbins. Hung on the wall behind my sewing table. I can easily get to it and see all thread and bobbins stored with the spool of thread with a plastic piece that fits In the end of the bobbin so they are always together.